Spirited Away II: Reawakening
by Xenophemera
Summary: Chihiro is 18 now, and has returned to the spirit world. Will Haku and her old friends recognize her? Will she be trapped in the spirit world permanently this time, and if not, will she decide to leave or stay? R&R always greatly appreciated.
1. Chapter I

_I can't stop shaking,_ Chihiro thought to herself as she stopped at the end of the tunnel. Beyond her lay a shimmering field of green grass; stones of all sorts and sizes scattered themselves haphazardly about. The sky was clear and twilight was quickly descending over the familiar landscape. It bathed everything in fiery oranges and yellows.

She forced herself to continue forward into the valley, keeping her hand against the rough red stone that surrounded her. Everything was so familiar. So unchanged. It had been eight years since she had been to this place. It had been eight years since she found herself disappearing on the banks of a spirit river. It had been eight years since she first locked eyes with the boy who helped her save herself.

As the thought of Haku took root in her mind, she had a renewed sense of purpose. She had been planning her return trip for months, and there was no way she was going back on herself now. Removing her hand from the wall, she clenched each hand over the straps of her back pack and with a set face, moved forward into the sea of grass.

Her heart raced with uncertainty as she trekked, more quickly now as the sun began to sink lower in the horizon. With each step she swore her heart began to pick up its pace. As she observed it, the land did look unchanged, but a lot of other things could change in eight years. She glanced down at herself, taking in her womanly figure. Her hair had even grown longer, and she wore it down most of the time. However, she still wore the hair tie her friends had made her all those years ago, every day, over her slender wrist. She looked at it and observed how it glittered in the twilight.

 _Will he even recognize me? Perhaps this was a foolish thing to do. . ._ She wrestled with her thoughts every step of the way, until her foot hit the solid concrete of the stairs that her ten year old self had once began disappearing on. Her uncertainty seemed to settle in the back of her mind as a sense of wonder and nostalgia took its place.

She let her arms fall to her sides as she ascended the steps and took in the buildings and banners. Everything was as it had once been so many years ago. She walked slowly on, her mind lost in a time that had long since come and gone. She imagined the black shadowy spirits floating about; cooking, working, catering to the greater spirits that came to this small village in order to patron the bath house.

The bath house. Chihiro froze as she came upon the large tower that stood in the square just before the bridge of the bath house. It was just as large and mighty as she had once remember it. She knew she should want to cross the bridge, but now, suddenly, as the awe of her surroundings wore off, she realized just how nervous she really was. What if, when night fell, nothing happened? Or greater yet, what if something did?

"You shouldn't be here." Chihiro froze. Those words. Could it be who she thought? Her heart seemed to fail her for a moment as her breath caught. She almost couldn't bring herself to turn around. Suddenly, a light flickered on to her right, and then another, and another as the town began to prepare itself for business hours. It was happening.

"Haku?" Chihiro finally said, turning to face the voice. At first it seemed that it really could be him. The one that stood several meters away from her was young and wore the traditional clothing that she had seen Haku in when she first arrived. Even the hair was cut in a very similar fashion, but upon a more studied look, Chihiro realized it was not Haku at all. It was a young girl, possibly around the age of thirteen or fourteen. Her heart began to beat again, and very quickly. She felt it hammering through her chest and she put her hand on the tower for support.

What had she been thinking? What if Haku left for another home? Another place? She may have just hurled herself into the spirit world for a second time, only this time, there may not be any one kind enough to save her. Her most prominent connection to the spirit world's whereabouts were currently unknown to her.

"Why do you know that name?" The girl interrupted Chihiros panic, and pressed her to answer the question. "Why does a human know Master Haku's name?"

"I- Well- He and I," she was struggling to formulate a coherent thought. If she were interpreting this girls question the right way, then that would suggest that Haku was in fact present. Perhaps not in the square with them, but somewhere in the village or the bath house.

"Out with it!" the young girl demanded. She had her thin arms jutted out with her hands on her hips. It was almost comical that she acted hard, because she was a skinny child. Chihiro couldn't knock her for her spirit though.

"Is he here?" Chihiro asked.

"That doesn't answer the question," The girl crossed her arms now and moved a few paces closer to Chihiro.

"Sorry. We're. . . friends." She didn't know how to approach the question at first. She absently mindedly touched the hair band on her wrist and remembered watching Haku as a dragon for the last time outside of Granny's hut. "We're friends." She was surer of herself now, straightening and moving away from the tower.

"Well I've never seen you before." She was stubborn, of that much Chihiro was certain.

"I haven't been here in a long time." Chihiro tried to stay as alert to the conversation as possible, but the idea that Haku was very nearby kept tugging at the edges of her mind, like loose strings that, when pestered long enough, would soon lead to the unraveling of the entire garment.

The girl looked up suddenly and became tense. She sprang towards Chihiro and grabbed her arm, not unkindly. Chihiro gasped in surprise, as she was not expecting things to escalate so quickly, but the girl didn't seem to mean her any harm.

"Follow me, human. Quickly!" she tugged at Chihiro's arm and began toward the bridge. The girl kept a firm grip on Chihiro's arm as though she expected her to fly off over the bridge, or dissipate into the darkness. As they crossed the bridge, Chihiro noticed that night had fully descended upon the village, and the bath house glowed with the hustle and bustle of those who were no doubt setting themselves to work inside.

As they approached the front entrance, the girl and Chihiro veered off to the left. The familiar path lead into a small garden and a side entrance that Chihiro still knew well. There were people inside running about and the girl walked directly up to the sliding doors. This was playing out very similarly to Chihiro's first trip into the spirit world, except this time there would be no hiding.

"Min!" The doors slid apart with haste as a single toad kneeled to grant her entrance. "Oh, Min, we've been looking for you! There are rumors that a hu-" The toad stopped in his tracks and his mouth fell slightly agape as his large shiny eyes fell on Chihiro. She held her breath as she wondered desperately if anyone would remember her. For the moment, it appeared that either eight years had changed her too much for that to be so, or this was a toad that had never encountered her on her previous adventure. Either way, he was about to let out a cry of alarm when the girl, whose name it seemed was Min, slapped a small hand against his large toad mouth and pinched it shut.

"Not a word toad!" she hissed, making sure not to draw any other workers attention. The hall seemed relatively clear aside from the toad that must have been awaiting her return to the bath house. "I'm taking this matter straight to Master Haku to be dealt with, understand? Now listen carefully," she removed her hand slowly from his mouth before continuing. "We're getting on the service elevator and riding all the way up. We won't run into anyone else in the building that way. You'll go back about your business and shut down every word you hear of a human near or in the bath house. Got it? Get people back to work and assure them that there's absolutely no human here. We'll let Master Haku take care of this problem."

"Uh, I, yes ma'am." The toad bowed, keeping his eyes to the floor as he accepted Min's shoes as well as Chihiro's.

"No shoes or so-" Min had begun to instruct, but stopped when she realized that Chihiro had already obliged. Her eyes narrowed at Chihiro for a moment and then she grabbed her arm again and began to lead her toward the first level service elevator. Chihiro glanced back at the nervous toad that was already scuttling away, the door slid shut where they had entered.

They encountered no one else as they set foot on the elevator and Min pulled the lever to take them to the pent house. She glanced about nervously and wondered why they would go to the pent house. What of Yubaba? She feared that should she ever encounter the bath house witch again, she would remain in the spirit world for good. If that were to happen, she imagined that she would become the new version of Rin. Her heart ached for a moment as she wondered what had ever become of her good friend. Rin had watched out for her even though she seemed incredibly irritable sometimes.

"Um, Yu-"

"Don't talk." Min said. She kept her eyes straight forward.

"Sorry." Chihiro apologized out of habitual curtesy.

"What did I just say?" Min said, turning her head to look at Chihiro with an annoyed expression. Chihiro admired the girl for taking her work so seriously, but she did wish that she would divulge at least a little information. Anything would have been nice to hear now, as she ascended into the unknown.

The elevator slowed to a stop after what seemed like half an eternity. The doors slid open with an easy _psh_ sound and closed all the same behind the two girls. The entry way to the pent house was still as large as ever, and had a lovely marble floor. However, other aspects of the room were much different. Everything was a bit less lavish, and the door to the many rooms beyond no longer had a Yubaba faced knocker hanging from it. Instead there was a plain one, and the door itself was a simple polished oak.

Min knocked on the door twice and it swung open as easily as if she had turned the handle and pushed. Min pressed on through the several rooms that lead to the main hallway with Chihiro in tow. They turned right and padded swiftly down the long corridor until at last they came to another door. This door marked the moment of truth for Chihiro, and she pressed her knees together to keep them from knocking.

Min knocked again at this door, but it did not swing open. Instead it seemed to dissolve before the two. Min passed through the newly opened doorway and kneeled on a very familiar rug. Chihiro however could not move and looked at the place the door had once been. No matter how much one see's, the marvels of magic never cease to amaze.

"Master Haku, we have a problem."

"Stand up, Min. I told you, you don't have to be so formal all the time." Chihiro's skin prickled as goose bumps formed over each arm and a cold spell rushed outward from her core, causing her extremities to feel numb. The voice, whose owner she could not yet see, was deep and smooth, but somehow as familiar to her as if she had known it for many years.

Min stood then and bowed in compliance with her Master's wishes, and then continued her delivery. "There's an intruder," she reached out to indicate Chihiro, but frowned as she realized that Chihiro lingered in the door way. She marched over, grabbed Chihiro's slender arm, and lugged her over to the carpet. She bowed to Haku again, and started over, "There's an intruder, Master Haku. a-"

"Human. . ." Haku finished for her. Chihiro couldn't find the courage to look away from the floor yet, and clenched her hands at her side. Eight years of dreams, of memories, of longing all coiled within her like snakes that pressed against her, seeking an exit.

"How should we take care of this?" Min asked. "Say the word, Master, I'll handle the problem."

"Leave us." Chihiro shivered at the sound of his voice. She still couldn't look up; she feared that by doing so this dream she had landed herself in might shatter into a million pieces and form a pile at her feet.

"Wh-"

"An apprentice does not question their master, Min. Do they?"

"No, Master Haku." Min bowed and backed up a few paces before she walked behind Chihiro and disappeared out into the corridor. There was no sound of a door shutting behind her, since this particular door didn't work that way, and so Chihiro had no way of knowing how alone the two left in the room really were.

The silence that ensued for the few moments that followed Min's exit were deafening. Chihiro's heart was beating fast enough to make her light headed as all of the fight or flight adrenaline went unused. She took a deep breath, her shoulders visibly rising with the action. She was about to look up as Haku spoke again, this time to her, and her alone.

"Could it really be," he began as Chihiro finally looked up to make eye contact with him.

Before her stood someone who was no longer the boy she remembered from eight years past, but a man. He was tall, and his body had thickened with muscle and maturity in the past eight years. His hair had grown longer, and he now kept it bound behind him; shorter strands framed his face on either side. His face, however much grown it now was, still maintained the soft and caring features that she could never mistake or forget.

"Haku. . ." she whispered under her breath.


	2. Chapter II

Chapter II

Haku looked as though he wanted to come forward, but remained behind his desk. The room itself was very much changed in the fact that it had much less lavish décor, among other things. The carpet on which she stood was still the one she had become intimately acquainted with when she face planted into the room for the first time eight years ago. Haku seemed to do things in a much more sensible manner.

Chihiro quelled the urge she harbored that implored her to run to him and embrace him. She didn't want to seem strange or eager. Eight years gone is a long time, and they were no longer children. There didn't seem to be any set of social rules to apply to this situation, but throwing caution to the wind was not what she came to far to do.

"You look," Chihiro began, but blushed and looked passed him, to the red curtained window. She wasn't sure how to put to words what she saw without being too forward. He looked so handsome, so kind, so tall, so much older, but in the best way. These were things she could not, and would not say for the time being. "Where is Yubaba?" She finally decided that this would be the safest thing to say until she had more time to feel out the situation.

To her great surprise, Haku chuckled and looked at her kindly. His eyes were as soft as they had ever been. Time and age had done nothing to dampen their fastness. Her heart quickened as she watched his eyes, and she let her own fall to the desk at which he had previously been seated.

"Am I supposed to believe you came all this way to inquire upon the whereabouts of Yubaba?" He said finally, not unkindly. Before Chihiro could summon the courage to answer he continued, "In any case, she has been gone for quite some time. She lives very near her sister now, if I recall correctly. When you," he stopped abruptly as if something pained him, but the notion was gone the instant it had occurred and Chihiro was not sure it had happened at all. "After I returned to the bath house, I intended to share a few choice words with the old witch, but as it turned out, she had decided that she wanted to take the baby and live a more peaceful life where the child could begin to live freely. This really isn't the best place for a child," he said, gesturing his hand about the room. "So here I have been for the past, well, eight years."

"It looks different, and yet somehow still the same," Chihiro commented on the surroundings and the atmosphere of the place. "I can't believe Yubaba just left, just like that."

"Sometimes people leave," he said, almost absently. She noticed that his eyes were fixed on her very intently, and then, the storm clouds in his mind seemed to dissipate and he smiled gently. All of a sudden Min dashed back through the door.

"Yes, Master Haku!" she said, as she scurried into the room and kneeled before his desk. Chihiro looked on in confusion as Min came back into the room, but it appeared that she had been summoned by Haku. With an almost tired expression he told her once again to stand and to stop being so formal all of the time. This seemed to be something she did often that Haku was not fond of.

"You'll have to forgive me," he looked very apologetically at Chihiro now, and for the first time crossed the space between them to stand close enough to touch her. He reached for her hand and she allowed him to hold it up in his own. Her skin felt fiery against his own, and she tried to maintain a composed facial expression. He placed his other hand atop of the hand he held up and searched her face to see that she was alright. "The last thing I want to do is leave you," he seemed at a loss for words for a moment and she felt her stomach twist in a sudden panic. Was he sending her back? Was he leaving? Was there something she didn't know that was immensely important? Her mind was a tumultuous cluster of irrational thoughts until he spoke again.

"I have urgent business to attend to today, and it can't wait. But I'll come back," he promised and her entire body almost visibly relaxed at once. "In the mean-time I think there are a few people around here that you'd be very interested in seeing." He grinned now, and she could tell he was excited for her to see those whom she had not in many years.

"They're still here?" she asked, excitement building within her until it felt almost tangible.

"Min."

"Yes, Master Haku!"

"Please escort my dear friend to Rin." Min nodded and walked over to the door where she waited patiently for Chihiro to join her.

"We have so much to discuss," he said suddenly to Chihiro, and she smiled easily. "Rin will enjoy catching up with you while I'm gone. Until my return," he said finally, bowing his head slightly in her direction. She took her que to leave, and did so almost painfully. She didn't mind waiting for him to return, but their reunion seemed so anticlimactic. It was almost as if his mind were lost in something distant. He was kind, and he was happy, that much she could tell. There was something there that she just couldn't read, and she hoped that by the time he returned, she would have the courage summoned to be up front with him about her return; to tell him how she truly felt, even if it seemed foolish to hold onto feelings so old they could qualify as relics.

"This way miss," Min said as she extended her arm out through the door to direct Chihiro into the hallway. This was enough to make Chihiro double take. Min was at least seven times more pleasant now than she had been earlier that day. Min seemed to take note of this as they departed the room. Chihiro looked behind herself, something she had done ever since the day she promised not to look back. She didn't think she regretted not looking back, because she loved her family, but her mind was forever filled with what ifs since that moment.

The room was empty now, as the door materialized back into place. Her heart sank slightly, and she wondered what kind of business it was he was conducting. Her mind was pulled away from this track of thought, however, as Min began to lead them further away from the door, and she said:

"Sorry about all that, earlier." She seemed genuine in her apology and looked up at Chihiro for a moment before turning all of her attention to the hallways. "I had no idea you were her."

"Her?" Chihiro asked, taken slightly aback.

"Master has talked about you-" she stopped mid-sentence and redirected quickly, "Rin and Kamachi and plenty of guests have talked about you for years. You're a bit of a legend around here." Chihiro wondered why the sudden deviation away from Haku, but didn't press Min for details.

"A legend?"

"Did you really turn Yubaba's baby into a mouse?" Chihiro laughed and covered her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry," she apologized for laughing, "but no, I didn't. Granny – er – Yubaba's sister actually was the culprit behind that." Min seemed to be humored by the information and cracked a smile as they stepped forward in to the elevator.

As the machine descended back down the many levels of the bathhouse, Chihiro took the opportunity to press Min for a bit more conversation since she seemed much more apt to oblige now.

"So," she began casually, "Master Haku's apprentice." She waited to see what kind of information Min would allow her.

"He's the kindest Master I could have ever hoped for." She pulled on the lever of the elevator and it shuddered lightly to a halt within its shaft. She stepped out and gestured for Chihiro to follow, and she did. As the two began down this new corridor, Chihiro couldn't help but notice how nice it was. It seemed more like a place you would find the guests of the bathhouse, not an employee.

Everything made sense as they came up to a door that was patterned to match the other wallpaper; a swath of golds spinning and streaming across rich reds. The calligraphy on the door read "Foreman Rin". Chihiro felt a jolt of happiness run through her for her friend. Rin; a foreman. It was a position that Chihiro felt her friend deserved.

Min kneeled on the ground and called forth into the sliding door.

"Rin-san, I have a guest for you." There was silence for a few moments, and Chihiro feared that Rin were not there. Everything still felt very surreal to her. Then, in the same fashion she would expect from Rin, she heard:

"Well, come in!" Min obliged and slid back the door before stand and entering. Chihiro followed and saw that the room was a lot like an apartment. It was still smaller than many of the lavish rooms of the bathhouse, but it had more than one room. Rin was not yet in sight, and both young women folded their knees beneath them and sat on a tatami mat as they waited.

The room was well furnished, with a small polished table sitting neatly in the center of the main room. The walls were decorated in some traditional masks as well as an interesting wall scroll. However, while the office upstairs was done in a more western style, this room maintained a traditional look. As Chihiro finished taking in her surroundings, a door slid back with a _shk_ and out stepped Rin.

She looked down at Min with a curious expression, and then at Chihiro. It seemed that it didn't quite register with her at first at whom she was looking. Then, as if the entire universe had lined up to make the connection, Rin's face widened in a brilliant smile. Chihiro thought she almost looked like a pretty toad for a split second, her grin was so wide.

Rin was much less reserved than Haku had been, and dove down to the floor to swoop her old friend up into a hug. Chihiro laughed loudly at the unexpected reception and hugged her back.

"Oh! Look how big you are! Well, in a good way, you know! You're hair! It's so long! You're so tall!" Rin went on and on about all of the things that had changed with Chihiro, and there were many. By the time Chihiro could get a word in edge wise they were both a bit red faced and warm from the burst of excitement.

"Min, call for tea, please," she said lightly.

"Yes ma'am," Min said as she excused herself from the room and left the two old friends to themselves. Chihiro folded her hands in her lap and smiled up at Rin. Her features were older, but time had done nothing to detract from the beauty that he face had always held. Not to mention the spit fire in her spirit. She was so pleased to see her friend so alive and well that she could have burst from the feeling.

"I have to ask," Rin said finally as calm had settled over the room, "and it's not that I'm not glad to see you, because I am, so glad, but what brought you back here?" Rin looked a little too knowingly at Chihiro but waited patiently for an answer.

"Well, I," but before she could finish, a tea tray was brought in and sat out before the two. Min was not the one who brought it, however, and a different servant kneeled at the table. Once everything had been sat out, Rin dismissed her and the girl excused herself. Once the door had slid closed once more, Chihiro picked up a steaming cup and slid it over to rest in front of herself while it cooled.

"I'd always wanted to come back," She finally decided to say as Rin had begun drinking her own tea. She could tell Rin wanted to add something to that, but instead smiled brightly and nodded.

"I always knew you would, too," she said. "Part of me hoped you wouldn't, because the spirit world is not a place for a human to live a happy life, but when Haku took over the bath house. . ." she trailed off and took another sip of tea.

"It's really so amazing what changes he seems to have brought to the bathhouse," Chihiro added, and she meant it.

"I never knew how gentle he was until you came along. If it weren't for you Chihiro, none of this would have every happened." She swept her arm around, tea still in hand, gesturing about the room. Chihiro understood that she meant the entirety of the bathhouse and the circumstances within.

"It was a really amazing adventure," she said, looking into her cup thoughtfully before finally indulging in the bitter sweet taste of her lightly sweetened green tea. It was immensely refreshing as she realized she had been thirsty for quite some time.

"Have you been to see Kamachi yet?" Rin asked as she sat aside her finished cup of tea, not bothering to pour another.

"No, not yet." And with that a smile bloomed across Rin's face.

"He's never going to believe it," Rin said as she stood and held her hand out for Chihiro to take.

[A/N]: I hate writing authors notes, but to those of you who reviewed, I'm deeply moved and thank you kindly for your words. I'm so pleased that you have enjoyed my writing. Please forgive the mistakes that you will no doubt find in this draft of chapter two. I'm quite tired as I write, but so eager to give you the next chapter, and so inclined to continue while the idea is fresh, that I couldn't wait to post. I will have an edited version of the chapter posted to replace this sometime tomorrow afternoon. K.J.


	3. Chapter III

As Rin and Chihiro descended from the floor that Rin's room originated on, down into the basement, she noted that everything looked very much as it had when she had been their eight years ago. The walls and floors were very plain, and made clear the practical nature of the basement; a servants quarters where the employees bustled about carrying linens and food.

Kamachi's door was still a small set of square sliding doors. Rin kneeled and slid one back before gesturing to Chihiro to enter. As she entered the room the familiar sound of the boiler's hisses and clanks met her ears. A damp heat hung about the room and above her, arms working harmoniously at a diligent pace, the boiler man sat.

"Dinner time? Already? Feel like I just ate," he commented without turning to look down at those who had entered his boiler room. Chihiro laughed and waited for him to turn towards them.

"Oh, Kamachi, is that anyway to greet and old friend?" Rin said with her arms crossed as she looked up expectantly. The old man paused then, and turned his head to face the two young women.

"Ehhh," he said in his typical low and questioning voice. "Rin? What are you doing down here?" he asked before stretching down to get a closer look at Chihiro. His mustache twitched before realisation came swiftly over him.

"Well I'll be darned!" He exclaimed as he, using his spider like limbs, lifted himself off his platform and came to rest down upon the floor where his dear friend stood.

"It's nice to see you, too," Chihiro said, bowing to him slightly.

"Look how tall you are." And it was true, she was now exceptionally taller than him. She had almost forgotten how small his body really was. But he made up for it with his highly dextrous and numerous arms.

"It's been eight years, I grew a little," she commented when he said nothing and continued to stare up at her in wonder.

"You came back. . ." he said finally, and he and Rin exchanged a knowing look. Chihiro wanted to protest and ask what this was all about, but decided against it.

"I came back," she confirmed.

Kamachi invited them all to sit with him while he took a rest from the boiler. The bath house was not particularly busy that evening, and he wasn't as needed at the grinder. They all chatted about life at the bath house and how much it had changed with Haku, as well as life in the human world.

Chihiro told them about school, and how her parents thought that she was at University right now. It was the only way that she could disappear without arousing their suspicions or cause them to worry. She loved her parents dearly and although she didn't want to cause them any pain over her, she also knew deep down that she couldn't stay away from the spirit world any longer. Once she came of age to attend university, she took the opportunity to make her leave.

She was questioning now whether she would ever make it out of the spirit world as she had the last time. She had no idea how easy or complicated of a task it was for her to be transferred from one side of the gate to the other. In order to pass back into her world the last time it took Yubaba's magic. Perhaps one could only pass back and forth so many times and if she left again, if she could leave at all, she would never be able to enter the spirit world again.

If that were the case, would she want to leave? Could she? She knew for many years following her departure that life in the human world would never quite be enough for her. She didn't grow and become the person that she was destined to be in the human world; she grew here, with the spirits. She wondered then exactly what Haku would have to say to her about all of this, because eventually he was going to return, and eventually this was going to become a topic of discussion.

She tried to force the thought of all that and other complicated things from her mind when Rin pulled on her sleeve.

"Are you listening?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking," Rin smirked and the boiler man gave a thoughtful smile.

"Have you been to see Master Haku yet?" Kamachi asked.

"I have, but he left shortly after I arrived."

The old man's brow creased for a moment but the moment passed quickly and before she knew it the conversation was plowing forward like nothing had even happened.

It didn't seem like it, but hours had passed by the time any of them realized was time it was. Kamachi's dinner arrived by way of a young servant girl, and he took the dish excitedly. She look up at his used utensils from earlier that day and put her hands on her hips.

"I keep telling you to leave your bowls out Kamachi." Rin and Chihiro looked at each other immediately and gave a knowing laugh. It was one of the first things Chihiro had ever heard her say to Kamachi, and it seemed that some things never really did change.

The sight of Kamachi's food made Chihiros stomach rumble and Rin noticed. She suggested that the two of them have something to eat as well as figure out Chihiro's sleeping arrangements. She agreed to this but not before feeding the soot sprites. She took the basket from the slightly confused servant girl, who quickly put her questions aside after a stern look from Rin.

The sprites danced around scooping up as many of the colorful treats as they could hold. Chihiro smiled and laughed at all of the sprites that tried desperately to scoop up more than they could carry. They would stack two or three into their wispy arms before they'd topple on to the ground. Even though they failed, however, they continued to attempt to hold more than they could carry, or needed. She shook her head in a bemused way and finally stood to accompany Rin back to her quarters.

Even though Chihiro had slept all day before she had re-entered the spirit world, she still felt the tug of exhaustion as her circadian rhythm protested her staying away the entire night. Her dinner was delicious and as soon as they had finished eating, she situated herself into a sleeping robe and rolled out her bed. Rin had insisted that Chihiro stay with her, and she was completely fine with that. The idea of staying in a room alone didn't sit well with her, and having Rin so close made her more comfortable in general.

Sleep came to her swiftly and it wasn't long before she was dreaming of all kinds of strange and wonderful things.

 _Chihiro found herself standing on the bridge between the town and the bath house. She looked down over the railing and into the shallow waters below. She found her ten year old reflection staring back at her and looked harder; unsure of why she saw her younger self. Suddenly she noticed that another reflection had joined hers and her heart stopped._

 _Haku was standing there, his twelve year old body and face so extremely familiar to her. She turned quickly to look at him, and found his adult body and face waiting. She wondered why the water had shown their young reflections, but moved passed it very quickly as he placed a hand on her cheek. Her heart quickened and she reached out for him._

 _'Chihiro,' his voice was soft and pleasant. It all felt so real to her that her heart began to ache with longing. 'Chihiro.'_

Chihiro's eyes fluttered open and she was met with the source of her name. Haku was standing near her, gently calling out to wake her. Once he noticed that her eyes were open, he said, "Meet me in the gardens, just beyond the bridge. You remember?" he asked quietly. She could tell her was making sure not to wake Rin. She nodded in response and with that he disappeared out into the hallway.

Chihiro blinked a few times before sitting up. Muffled light was pressing against the curtained window in the room where Chihiro had made her bed. It had to be the middle of the day at least. Her heart was racing as she reached for her bag and fumbled with the zipper. She realized how nervous she was and sat back for a moment, collecting her thoughts and forcing herself to breath.

She wasn't sure what was going to transpire, but this was what she had come here for. This was the moment that she had been anticipating for many many years. Whether it would end with her love coming to fruition, or Haku gently telling her to go back to the human world - that he did not love her the way she loved him - she knew not, but she knew that where their first meeting had fallen short this would be the one that counted.

She dressed in one of the casual day dresses that she had tucked away in her backpack and brushed her long hair. The dark brown locks fell like silk down her back and shoulders as she stood, ready to face her destiny. She ran a hand quickly over the purple hair band that had always given her comfort in times of stress.

She exited the bath house as quickly as possible, taking note of the eery quiet of the place. Something so large and so often busy felt almost alive, even when its inhabitants were sound asleep. She exited through the front entrance, something she had never done before. The light of the noon sun was bright and warm against the exposed skin of her arms and legs. She took in the daylight and began to cross the bridge, feeling it's familiar wooden planks individually with every step.

She came to the gate into the flower gardens, now in full bloom, and paused. Her hand hovered over the latch with uncertainty, and she knew there was no turning back. She had sealed that fate the moment she crossed over into the spirit world for the second time. With a deep breath and an adjustment of her shoulders, she unlatched the gate and stepped through.

After closing the gate behind herself with a soft click, she looked on down the path. She was engulfed in a myriad of bright and beautiful colors. The flowers smelled amazing and she was lost for a moment in their other worldly attraction. She slid her gaze from one side of the path to the other admiring every flower, down to the petals, like little star bursts hanging from the branches. She did this until her line of sight was interrupted by someone standing on the path before her.

She stopped walking her felt her stomach twist itself into knots. She clenched her hands into little fists to keep them from shaking, but moved forward to meet Haku. He was standing patiently, holding a flower gently between his fingers and admiring it.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he said finally, as she came into a normal speaking distance. "This just isn't something that can wait."

Chihiro wasn't sure how to take this. Could this be it? Was he going to tell her that she needed to leave the spirit world forever? That his feelings had faded where hers had bloomed? Or was he going to tell her that by coming here there was no way for her to leave again? She wanted to believe that this was going to be the moment she had been hoping for for so many years, but the uncertainty just couldn't be pushed away.


	4. Chapter IV

"Wait," Chihiro blurted out as Haku looked like he was about to continue speaking. "Before you say anything, anything else, please, just hear me out." She paused then and closed her eyes. She almost couldn't believe she were about to say the things that were on the tip of her tongue, but a sudden rush of courage coursed through her veins and she knew that it was now or never. No matter what happened next, at least she could hold onto the satisfaction that she'd made her feelings, and her agenda, known.

Haku looked on at her patiently and didn't attempt to interrupt or question her sudden outburst. When she opened her eyes to make her speech, they locked with his ashy green ones. Her heart felt as though it were about to stop. Ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks, she plowed on, this time keeping the eye contact he made with her.

"When I left this place all those years ago, when I walked down those stairs for the last time, you told me I couldn't look back. And I didn't; not once. I spent years wondering if I did the right thing, wondering if you would keep your promise. For a while I convinced myself that you meant I would see you in the memories, in the skies as day turned to night, in every drop of water that came to me. For a while that is what I believed until I couldn't accept that as the answer anymore.

"When university applications became the subject of my families discussions, I knew that was my window, and that was my sign. I needed to see you again, for real. I needed to know that you were more than just a fading childhood memory that wouldn't leave me alone long enough to get a decent night's sleep.

"If me coming here is somehow detrimental to you, I'm sorry, I truly am, but I had to come. I had to come because even if you don't feel it . . . the way I do. . . I needed you to know. . ." The gentle summer breeze had dispatched a collection of delicate petals into the air of every color, sending them gently onto the two occupying the gardens. Chihiro swallowed hard and wished that her surge of courage had outlasted her speech. Her eyes never wavered from Haku's as he watched her patiently.

"I know we were only children. And I know that you're a spirit and I'm just a human," she finally said quietly, her courage giving in, and her eyes falling to the worn dirt path beneath their feet. "But my feelings for you are still so strong . . . stronger, even. . ." She couldn't bring herself to say it directly, and instead brought her hands to cover her face. For the first time since arriving in the spirit realm she wished that she might sink into the earth, if only to escape the feelings drowning her now.

She was so busy being consumed by her mortification that she had failed to really notice Haku moving towards her. He stepped within arm's length, and gently plucked a fallen petal from her silken hair. She was surprised by the sudden touch, and looked up, letting her arms and hands fall slightly. Haku studied the petal with fondness, as if he had watched it grow up unto this very moment, and was now bidding it farewell. If fell lightly from his finger tips and floated out into the obscurity of the rest of the gardens.

"Chihiro," he said slowly, lovingly. "You were never, 'just a human'." Then, reaching out as though he had been longing to do so for ages, he gently brushed some loose strands of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You were the greatest friend I've ever known. You saved my life. For that I can never repay you." He stepped forward again, enough to take her hands into his own, suspending them between the two.

"I promised you that we would meet again, I know," he said, his face turning a bit downcast now, taking on a much more serious tone. "I have wanted to see you, always, but you must understand that I cannot leave this world. And you were so young . . . It had to be your choice, to make when you were ready to take that leap once more. I promised we would see each other again because I knew that you would make that choice, but I could not know when. And so I've been waiting here, watching the bridge every evening as day turned to night. And here you are," he said with a depth of affection that Chihiro had never known from a man.

She suddenly smiled as tears began to creep out of the corners of her eyes. She wasn't sure if it were the relief of his words or the joy she felt from hearing them. She felt as though she could breathe again, and her smile grew until it seemed as though she were about to start laughing.

Haku looked down at her with concern, and without thinking about it placed a strong hand on her back and looked at her carefully.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I just," she brushed the tears from her eyes and tried to look at him reassuringly. "I've just never been so happy."

The afternoon seemed to pass quickly as Chihiro felt she could never get enough of Haku's presence. She reveled in the air of him and, although still quite shy, found herself coming to adore the feeling of Haku's guiding hand placed gently on her back as they strolled through the gardens.

They spoke of everything that had transpired during Chihiro's life after she left the spirit world as a child. Haku listened patiently and never missed a single detail. When she mentioned dreaming of him, he would ask for as much of the design of those dreams as she was willing to share. He told her that dreams were spiritual ties from the soul to the spirit world.

Haku told Chihiro about taking the bath house over when Yubaba stepped down, and gaining his full magical potential as he grew. He regaled Chihiro with every detail of the how the bath house flourished and how he found Min and took her on as his apprentice. There was so much that had changed in the time that Chihiro had been absent, and yet so much that remained unchanged.

Chihiro was about to asked about Min and her story when an involuntary yawn tumbled out of her mouth. She covered her mouth quickly and smiled.

"I've kept you out of bed much longer than I intended," Haku admitted, apologizing as they walked back across the bridge. The sun had made its way to the western skies and Chihiro realized that she was immensely tired. Regardless of this fact, however, she was sad knowing that soon she would have to part ways from Haku in order to catch up on her sleep.

"I didn't mind," she said, smiling up at him. She admired for the first time his strong clean jaw; so defined and handsome. She blushed and looked down at the ground as they stepped toward the elevator. She walked forward and turned to realize that he did not follow. He held the doors open with one hand however and looked on at her.

"I apologize that I can't take you all the way up, but Min will meet you at the top," he said, extending a hand to brush her cheek. His eyes gave a look of longing and she could sense that he wanted more from her, but refrained and stepped away from the door, allowing it to slide slowly shut.

"Do you ever sleep?" Chihiro asked suddenly, surprising even herself. With nothing more than a sly grin, the door closed over him and she was left with nothing but the memories of the day that had transpired.

It may have been the fact that an elevator was carrying her rapidly up the multi storied bath house, but she felt lighter than air by the time the machine came to a halt. The door slid over and, just as Haku had promised, Min stood at the ready. She gave a short bow to Chihiro and directed her off the elevator. Its door slid shut with a _shp_ behind them as she walked forward toward the pent house door.

A moment of concern washed over her as she realized that Haku intended for her to stay in a room on his floor, and not with Rin. Aside from Haku, she realized too that Rin was the person she wished to see most at the moment. She needed help processing everything that had happened that day. Min lead her dutifully through hallways that she had never been through until now, and finally they stopped at a normal wooden door.

Min turned the brass knob, and the door swung open slowly, the hinges giving the slightest creak. A few lights came on and she hesitated, taking in the room from where she stood. The lights were mounted on brass fixtures that extended slightly out from the walls. A four poster bed sat with its headboard against the wall, and to the right a small but finely constructed fire place sat. It was not lit, likely due to the summer seasons warm weather, and a cover was fixed across the hearth, decorated with a scene of sakura trees; their blossoms drifting this way and that.

Min finally encouraged her to enter, and as she did she noticed that to the left was a small bathroom that had been obscured by the door frame. The room was cozy and her uneasy feelings gave way to her true exhaustion as Min assured her that she wouldn't be far if Chihiro needed anything. Once the door clicked behind Min, signifying her departure, Chihiro collapsed into her new bed, ignoring the fact that her things had been placed on the chest at the end of the bed. She fell into one of the most peaceful sleeps she'd had in years, fully dressed.

Haku sat in his office, looking at tallies and sending Min on different errands. He tried to focus only on his work, but the knowledge that Chihiro was just a few hundred feet from where he sat kept pulling at the edges of his mind.

Setting down his pen he gave into the urge to revel in the memories he had from earlier in the day. It was almost too good to be true that she had finally returned to him. He had never given up hope, but there were times when he wouldn't have blamed her for choosing a human life over returning to the spirit world. He stopped at that thought suddenly and reminded himself that she could still go back. The magic would be hard to achieve, but he would let her return, if she wished it.

This caused a frown to tug at the corners of his mouth and he got back to work. He knew he could never keep her from making her own choices, for he only wanted what would make her happy. But as long as she was here, he would do everything he could to show her how happy her return made him.


End file.
